Dutch Lady Malaysia fortifies media strategy with PHD

Dutch Lady Milk Industries, a subsidiary of FrieslandCampina, has appointed PHD as its media agency in Malaysia following a pitch. Beginning 1 January 2022, the agency will take on integrated media duties, which entail planning and buying, for the group, including Dutch Lady and Friso. Mindshare is the incumbent.

Guided by its proprietary platforms of Omni and Omni Studio, PHD said it won the account by pushing the boundaries of media and communication, complete with a strong pivot around data and technology. By demonstrating effectiveness in understanding the segmental nuances of Malaysian consumers, PHD sealed the win with a strategic and innovative approach that is centred around driving end-to-end consumer experiences that deliver better business outcomes for the client.

Bastiaan de Clercq, Dutch Lady Milk Industries' head of digital and media said the agency impressed the team during a very thorough media pitch process, with its approach towards media planning and digital transformation efforts. "Combining key fundamental media principles with strong innovative technologies and frameworks, we are confident PHD will help us deliver our purpose of Nourishing Malaysians with quality dairy nutrition to help them move forward in life," he added.

Meanwhile, Omnicom Media Group Malaysia's chief operating officer, Eileen Ooi, said the appointment is a testament to PHD’s challenger approach, combining strong marketing fundamentals, transformative digital approaches and the agency’s focus on creativity and collaboration to deliver meaningful communications for the client. "We are thrilled to partner Dutch Lady Milk Industries in unlocking growth opportunities and innovation in their brands and business," she said. 

When asked about her vision for this account, she told A+M that the team plans to deliver market-leading media capabilities by connecting Dutch Lady Milk Industries with solutions that are centred around audience-first comms, content-driven commerce, search excellence, advanced social buying, and a connected programmatic delivery; all anchored with strong fundamentals in marketing communications. "PHD Malaysia will also make the leap to drive transformational growth and digital ambitions for the client," she added.

Ooi was promoted to her role in February and reports to Tony Harradine, CEO, Omnicom Media Group, Asia Pacific. Leading a 104-man team in Malaysia, Ooi told A+M previously that she plans to double the business in the next three years and focus on expanding OMG into a holistic marketing solution partner, leveraging on its data and analytics hub Annalect, content agency Drum, and eCommerce hub Transact.

Separately, Dutch Lady also saw a leadership change in Malaysia earlier this year when it promoted marketing director, consumer dairy, Ramjeet Kaur Virik, to MD, replacing Tarang Gupta who has held the position since 2018. Virik has been the marketing director, consumer dairy for the last four years and was previously the international marketing manager as FrieslandCampina Asia Singapore.

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